


Don’t Make Me

by PlanetariumStickers



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Childhood Trauma, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Four is nonbinary, Hallucinations, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sensual Attraction, burn scars, i would say im sorry but id be lying, it starts off nice and all goes to shit, meteor showers, oh my god they were roomates, this entire fic is just me self-projecting on 4 whoops-, updates are kinda slow at the moment due to some irl happenings, will add more tags as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25637923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetariumStickers/pseuds/PlanetariumStickers
Summary: After the unfortunate events of Octo Expansion, Three has to figure out life on the surface again.
Relationships: Agent 3/Agent 8 (Splatoon)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47





	1. Sweet Tooth

Deep under the surface, something stirs.

* * *

Staring out over the vast ocean, watching the sunrise over Inkopolis, Three finally got a minute to breathe. The fresh morning air and the familiar smell of the sea had never made her feel so euphoric. After two years of fighting desperately for survival underground, the inkling was returning home. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought about reuniting with Callie and Marie, and getting to eat some real food again.

But most of all, Three couldn’t wait to take a nap.

* * *

As Three emerged from the sewer after Cap’n, she took a moment to stretch and yawn, feeling more exhausted with every second. Her eyes were barely managing to keep themselves open, and every sound was just a tiny bit too loud. But most importantly, she was finally managing to take in her surroundings, and it almost felt like a dream; it was like that feeling after returning from a long vacation and still having plenty of time left in the day to do what you want, but you have absolutely no idea where to start. Three just needed to settle in. But of course there wasn’t quite time for that yet, and Callie and Marie were about to remind her.

“Gramps?! _Agent 3?!”_

“W-What-“

Completely ignoring vaguely audible voices, Three locked eyes with an unfamiliar inkling and nearly jumped out of her skin. The other immediately looked away, foot tapping awkwardly. Before Three had a chance to process the sight of the stranger, her thoughts were interrupted by a very sudden and _intense_ hug from an old friend.

“Three, you look like absolute _shit!_ ” Callie shouted as she let go of the other. “What the hell happened to you?”

Three blinked slowly, then let out a long yawn. She kept her eyes closed and lowered herself to the ground, ready to fall asleep right then and there. A couple feet away, Marie was talking to Cap’n

who definitely had much more energy. Three could only make out a few words, but she could tell that Cap’n was telling the story about everything that had happened, and so she gestured lazily towards him in an attempt to redirect Callie to someone who could actually explain the situation. 

After a couple quick moments, Three’s nap was interrupted by footsteps. When she looked up, her eyes widened at the figure of the stranger from a minute ago crouched down next to her. The inkling had short yellow tentacles, two of which were tied back behind their head. Despite donning a casual outfit that almost looked like glorified pajamas, the inkling wore a set of hero headphones that immediately gave away the fact that they were an agent. 

In a way, that kinda hurt.

“I brought you this,” the inkling started, and Three lifted her head slightly with curiosity. In the other’s hand was nothing more than an old worn down throw pillow, but it had to be better than dirt. Without much acknowledgement of the generosity, Three snatched the pillow and buried her face into the fabric.

The other agent tilted their head slightly, heel bouncing against the ground with curiosity. “You okay…?”

“I wanna go home,” Three murmured, voice muffled by the pillow. The short-haired inkling paused for a moment, then gently asked her to repeat herself. To that Three rolled her eyes, lifting her head to meet the other’s gaze. She barely noticed when the stranger immediately looked away, and simply repeated her previous statement with more aggression.

“Three, don’t be snappy,” Marie called from a few feet away. “That’s another thing I need to talk to you about; you’re not gonna be going back to your apartment.”

The agent’s ears perked up as she turned towards the voice, confusion spread across her expression. “Wh… What do you mean..?”

Marie turned to face her fully, showing no concern for the situation. “You were gone for _two years_. I had to stop paying for your apartment so I could help pay for Four’s.”

Three could feel her mind racing as it was flooded with way too much information at once. 

_2 years?_

_That’s not a good way to tell someone that they’re homeless!_

_“Four?” I’ve been replaced?!_

_I just wanted to take a nap!_

The inkling couldn’t help but start crying. Not sobbing, just very quietly crying as she tried to process everything. 

The other agent, who she assumed was Four, shifted around so they could lay down next to Three. “If you have nowhere to go, you could crash at my place for a while.” Their voice was no more than a gentle whisper, and Three found it rather calming. She didn’t really know how to answer, so she simply buried her head in the pillow again. In a strange display of understanding, Four shifted closer and pressed their face into the fabric, taking a long breath. _I know_ , they wanted to say, _I understand._

* * *

Three absolutely hated to admit it, but she had no choice but to stay with Four at their apartment. Even if she only ended up staying for one night, she sure could use the sleep.

Upon arriving inside the agent nearly collapsed on the floor again, but managed to make it to the bedroom down the hallway before basically passing out. “I have an air mattress,” Four said, “so I’ll set that up when I get back. Help yourself to anything in the pantry, I’m sure you’re starving.” Three really wasn’t anticipating sleeping on an air mattress, so she was sure to get as much good sleep as she could while her new roommate was out doing agent stuff. 

However, at the end of the day, it turned out she wouldn’t be sleeping on an air mattress after all. Four had gotten blankets and pillows for both of them, then took the air mattress for themself to let Three sleep better.

Maybe, just maybe, having a roommate wouldn’t be so bad.

* * *

When Three woke up the next morning and checked the clock, she’d been asleep for almost 24 hours straight and she was still _exhausted_. Besides that, she was absolutely starving and her throat was dry from dehydration. Worst of all, the pain from the previous morning’s events was starting to get to her; the skin around her eye burned like hell, her eardrum felt like it had been destroyed, and her eye felt like it was filled with soap. Three sighed with defeat, burying herself in blankets and pillows in a fruitless attempt to escape the pain. 

It wasn’t long before Four had woken up, possibly due to the other agent’s restlessness, stretching and yawning before hopping out of bed. Three rolled over to face them, watching as they left the room without a word. Figuring they were off to get an early start on some agent work, she scoffed before sliding off the side of the bed and heading towards the door. _Marie might’ve replaced me_ , she thought, _but I’ll show her how strong I am. She won’t forget me. No one will._

Three had to admit that her thoughts were a little bit harsh, but assured herself that she was just tired and not actually that rude.

“How did an entire day of sleep treat ya?” Four called as the other inkling stepped into the kitchen. 

_It feels like I slept for a decade._ “Fine.”

“You hungry at all? I was gonna make some pancakes, it’d be no trouble to make you some too!”

_I’m absolutely starving. Pancakes sound amazing._ “I’m fine. I’ll just get something when we get back.”

Four paused all action, taking a moment to process the statement. “‘We…?’”

“You’re going out for agent work, I assume? I wanna come with you.” Three stated it like it was obvious. To her, it _was_ obvious.

“Oh, I’m not going to the outpost today. Just getting some groceries and stuff.”

Three stared momentarily at the headphones that the other was wearing; they were, without a doubt, part of the hero suit. “Wait, then why are you wearing your headphones if you’re not heading to the outpost..?”

“...Sensory thing.”

* * *

In the end, Three did stay at the apartment. She slept the entire day away, only getting up when Four came back home with snacks and a stack of frozen pizzas. They ate one for dinner, quietly observing eachother’s mannerisms from across the table. Three watched with minimal interest as Four tapped their foot against the ground to a tune that only they could hear, and the agent was starting to pick up on something. 

Four, on the other hand, seemed more interested in observing the gnasty infection on the right side of Three’s face. Though they quickly glanced away if she looked up at them, she knew that they were staring. But she couldn’t muster up the courage to mention it, so she simply left the topic alone.

Later that night, after Four had gone to sleep, Three crept into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. She’d stared with the same intensity as the other agent had, but for a different reason. This was _her_. She’d likely have this mark for the rest of her life. She’d never be able to see or hear on her right side again. 

As the pain started to get worse, Three couldn’t help but sigh, feeling defeated.

“Hey, you okay?” a voice called quietly from the door. With a quick turn of her head, Three identified her roommate and nodded slowly. 

“Just stings a bit, that’s all.” She knew that this was a lie, trying to save herself from seeming vulnerable or weak, but it wasn’t _too far_ from the truth.

The other seemed to tense up as the sound of her voice echoed around the bathroom, but they quickly got over it and stepped closer. “I think I can help, I’ve had to treat ink infections before.”

Three shook her head. “I don’t think its quite the same thing-“

“I did notice that, and from what Cap’n told me, it might not be similar at all. But it’s worth a shot!”

Three felt… confused.

For her entire life, she’d never experienced kindness like this. 

Maybe Four knew what it was like to be misunderstood.

She couldn’t help but smile softly as she thought about it, suddenly letting down an old emotional barrier that she’d kept up for cod knows how long. “Yeah,” she started slowly, quietly, “I’d appreciate your help.”

* * *

A few nights went by, and the two had fallen into a routine. Four would spend the day running errands or hanging out at the outpost, while Three stayed inside to get some sleep. They’d eat together around 7 or 8, usually something simple like pizza or pasta, then they’d split up again. Four would chill on the couch, playing video games or watching TV, and Three would get some extra sleep. A few hours later they’d get together again, working to treat the sanitized ink that still burned against the agent’s skin. Though it wasn’t an immediate fix, it was slowly starting to get better.

After nearly a week of this, Three finally had enough energy to spend the night with Four instead of sleeping. Though she’d gone to bed after dinner, she was finding it hard to fall asleep and eventually got back up. Four was resting on the couch, as expected, the blue glow of the TV illuminating the living room. They sat up quickly as they spotted the other agent, smiling widely.

“Y-You finally- You’re _awake_ and you-“ The inkling was having trouble forming a sentence, so they settled for a small squeal instead as their legs swung back and forth.

Three giggled softly, smiling back. “Couldn’t sleep. Think I finally got enough of it.” 

“I didn’t wanna wake you up so I’ve been putting this off for a while,” Four started, bouncing up onto their feet. “C’mere, you gotta see this!” 

Three followed after the other at a leisurely pace, but her ears perked with interest as her roommate opened the sliding door to the balcony, gesturing for her to exit first. As she stepped outside under the watchful eyes of the moon, she took a long breath of the summer air and sighed softly. 

“I figured it had been a while since you’d been able to see the stars,” Four stated as they approached the railing, cautiously taking off their headphones. 

“You’re right,” Three whispered, careful not to talk too loudly, “you never realize how much you love this view until you’re afraid you’ll never see it again.”

The two then stood in silence, listening to the sounds of the distant crickets as they stared up at the sky. “Ya know,” Four started after a while, “I could probably name all of the stars we see! This one-“ they began as they pointed up at the sky, “-is called Vega. And the one over here-“ they shifted to point further to the left, “-is Deneb. Then this one-“ they turned to point far further to the right, “-is Altair. They make up the Summer Triangle!” 

Three smiled as they followed the other’s gaze, pinpointing the tiny specks that made up the constellations in the sky. “What are the other ones?”

Four turned to her, tilting their head slightly. “...Hm?”

“The other stars? I’d love to hear more about them!”

“ _R-Really?!_ The only person who ever listens to me ramble is Marie, and I don’t think she’s even paying attention…”

“Well, I’m here to listen now.”

The other smiled softly, and Three could feel their heel tapping against the ground. “Thank you.” Then they continued, pointing out every single star and constellation that they could see from the balcony. Three loved listening to it all, and wondered whether or not Four heard that as often as they needed.

“For the record, Four,” she started, still staring up at the sky, “I love the way your mind works.”

  
  



	2. Between Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three reunites with Eight during the Final Fest

Surrounded by only darkness, it buffers momentarily.

* * *

“And on the last night of the Final Fest, a meteor shower is passing over Inkopolis!”

Three’s ears perked with interest, and she turned to face her friend as she spoke, “Final Fest?”

Four’s eyes lit up, suddenly realizing that the other probably had no idea what they were talking about. “Off The Hook is hosting their final Splatfest in a few days. It’s Chaos VS Order, and everyone’s going _nuts._ ”

“Cod, I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I got to see a Splatfest… It feels weird, in a way. Like I shouldn’t have them back yet.”

“Makes sense. From what you’ve told me, I guess you never thought you’d see one again.” Three shook her head slowly, and Four sighed. “Guess it’s nice, finally having something to look forward to.”

“Cod, you wouldn’t _believe_ how amazing it felt getting to see the sun again! The smell of the sea, the distant skyline, the gentle morning breeze - it all filled me with so much hope. I finally knew that I still had a _life_.” Three took a long breath, taking in the smell of the night, the distant sea, all of it. 

It felt nice, having a life to look forward to.

* * *

The next morning, right before sunrise, Three finally got out of the apartment. Four had agreed to take her to the outpost for a bit of battle practice, so they decided to leave early to avoid Callie and Marie.

“Don’t they have better things to be doing than sitting around in the sun all day?” Three asked, following Four towards the square.

“Apparently not. But as long as we get there before 11, we’ll have plenty of time.”

When they arrived at the outpost, they took a quick moment to check around before preparing for their battle. If they really wanted to they could’ve rented one of the turf stages for a private battle, but they figured they’d all be taken up for Splatfest practice and decided to just leave that idea alone.

Before they began their spar, Three took a moment to analyze the situation. She knew that Four likely had insanely fast reflexes; from what she could infer, the agent was hyperaware of their surroundings at all times, and would react quickly to even the slightest touch. She figured this was why they chose dualies; the lightweight, compact design provided for extra mobility, which would only make things easier for them. She knew she’d need to think faster than her opponent, which would either be incredibly easy or incredibly hard. From what she’d observed, Four didn’t process things very quickly, which could be an advantage. However, this could also cause the agent to stress during fights, which could give them an adrenaline rush.

Three only knew one thing for sure: _anything can be used against someone_. She’d need to be observant, able to predict her opponent’s every move, and always be one step ahead.

* * *

After a good 15 minutes of fighting, Three had managed to pick up on a few… _unexpected_ things.

For one, Four fought defensively. Their first priority was keeping themself safe, only going for an attack when Three had little to no chance of stopping them. Secondly, Four was _strong_. At one point, they’d ripped Three’s hero shot right out of her hands, immediately knocking her to the ground. Thirdly, Four showed absolutely _no_ mercy. It was almost as if they lost the ability to feel emotions _at all_ when they were fighting; this, out of everything, scared Three the most.

To be honest, she didn’t like physical fights. Turfing was fine, especially proper turf wars where roughhousing was against the rules. But something that every inkling knew, something that no one could forget, was that their beaks were _brutal._ Strong, sharp, powerful; it’s only ever a matter of time before someone loses an ear.

* * *

A few days of this go by, and it’s finally time for the Splatfest. 

“I’m wishing you luck out there,” Four started as they entered the tower, “but also not really. I’m looking forward to winning.”

Three laughed with disbelief. “I don’t need luck! I’m gonna kick your ass!”

“I doubt it. But it’s cute that you believe in yourself so much.”

The other agent had to take a moment. “I- I don’t… Whatever. Don’t forget, no roughhousing, and _no targeting eachother._ Gotta keep this fair.”

“No promises.”

* * *

Throughout the matches, Three could tell that Four was getting overwhelmed. Maybe it was the noise, maybe it was the crowd, maybe neither. Or both. But she knew one thing was for sure, they _both_ needed a break.

As they sat at a table next to Crusty Sean’s food truck, Three noticed Four’s leg bouncing more than usual. Without much thought, she reached her foot out to tap the toe of their boot, quickly earning their attention.

“You seem more nervous than usual,” Three started slowly, gazing down at the floor, “are you okay?”

Four took a moment to think, then nodded slowly. “Lots of noise, lots of people, it’s all overwhelming…”

“We can head home now, if you want. Come back tomorrow?”

Four nodded slowly, taking a long sip of their drink. “I would like that.”

* * *

“I’ll take the air mattress tonight,” Three stated as the two entered their apartment, kicking off their shoes.

“No no, keep the bed. It’s alright.”

“I’ve had it for over a week. This is still your apartment.”

“No, its not. It’s your home too now.”

“Well then, if it’s _our_ home, then doesn’t that make it _our_ bed?”

“Yeah..?”

“That means it’s your turn with the bed. I’ll take the air mattress, or maybe even the couch. I don’t care.”

“Seriously Three, it’s alright! I’m fine using the air mattress.”

“Are you fine using _either?_ ”

“...Yeah?”

“Then let’s share it.”

There was a long pause. “W-What…?”

“We can share it, there’s plenty of room and this is still your apartment.”

“...Ohh.”

* * *

To be completely honest, Three never even noticed Four was there. The two deflated the air mattress in the morning, threw it in the closet, got changed and then left without even mentioning the conversation they’d had the night before.

First thing’s first, they’d agreed to do a few more matches early in the morning before the sunrise.

When they got to the tower, still not completely awake, Three saw a familiar face in the lobby. She couldn’t be entirely sure, but she was almost positive that she knew who it was.

Agent 8.

Filled with panic and still not ready to address what had happened between them, Three wished she’d had time to find a way out of there before they were launched into battle.

However, when she realized that the agent was on the same team as her, she felt very mildly relieved. At least she wouldn’t need to fight against her again; she was sure that wouldn’t bring back any good memories for either of them.

About halfway through the first match, Eight acknowledged Three for the first time.

The inkling had been cornered by Four, who definitely wasn’t about to just let her go. They only had one thing in mind: winning.

That was when Eight had superjumped across the map, landing in front of Three with a splashdown that splatted the unsuspecting inkling instantly, a trick that Three was sure the octoling had learned from her. In a way, it was flattering.

Eight momentarily glanced back at the inkling, smiling softly before speeding off. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all.

* * *

A few more matches go by, and the previous enemies were doing everything in their power to protect eachother.

Three had no idea why Eight would want to protect her, but she did know that she needed to show the octoling that she was sorry. She needed her to know that she didn’t want to hurt her. She needed her to know that she had nothing against her, and she wanted them to know eachother for who they really were.

In the lobby between battles, they didn’t talk. But the more they interacted during the matches, the stranger it felt to stand without acknowledging eachother, and Three couldn’t take it anymore.

“Look, Eight-“ she started abruptly, turning towards the octoling, “I’m _really_ sorry about everything that happened…”

Eight didn’t reply for a moment, and the inkling could tell she was quietly observing the scar on her face. Now that she was thinking about it, she could feel it stinging again; it probably never really went away, and she’d just gotten used to it after a while.

“I know you are… but now isn’t really a good time to talk about it.” The octoling sighed softly, averting her gaze. “I’d rather just focus on the Splatfest. Have a bit of fun for once, you know?”

Three thought about that statement for a while, starting to feel rather sonder. 2 years underground was _nothing_ compared to 18 years of solitude, mind control, and endless torture.

That was a lot to think about.

* * *

“You know it’s gonna be impossible to find her, right?” Four questioned as Three dragged them towards the tower, the moon hung high above their heads.

“I need to at least _try!_ What if I never see her again?”

“You’re friends with the Squid Sisters. Eight lives with Off The Hook. I think you could get in contact with her pretty easily.”

“That wouldn’t leave me enough time to invite her to come with us to the meteor shower,” Three stated hastily as they entered a lobby. No Eight in sight.

“We can’t just lobby-hop all night! She might not even be out here right now!”

“It’s worth a shot.”

Four sighed softly, heel tapping the floor slowly. “Alright, fine. But I’m not staying out here all night.”

Three smiled, feeling almost proud of herself. “I’d never ask you to. Thank you.”

* * *

Nearly an hour later, all 3 agents managed to run into eachother. To the inklings’ surprise, Eight spoke first.

“ _Finally_ , I’ve been looking for you two all night! I really enjoyed turfing with you earlier, and I was afraid I wouldn’t get to see you again!”

Four bounced on their feet momentarily, clearly very excited. Three smiled widely, finding the other’s mannerisms strangely adorable.

“We’ve been looking for you, too!” Four replied. “We were wondering if you wanted to come see the meteor shower with us tomorrow night?”

Eight tilted her head slightly, seemingly confused. “Meteor shower…?”

Three could tell by the look on Four’s face that they were _so ready_ to info-dump everything on the unsuspecting octoling, so she was about to explain it for them when suddenly, the match started.

Throughout the battle, Three and Eight were sure to stick together. Whenever they got a moment to breathe, Eight would ask about the meteor shower again, and Three would explain it to the best of her ability. 

“So yeah,” the inkling started as they arrived back at the lobby, “tomorrow night around 11.”

The octoling smiled, her amber eyes filled with excitement. “I’d _love_ to join you.”

Three returned the smile, already tired of waiting for the next night.

But even through all of that, they both felt somewhat uneasy.

* * *

When the night of the meteor shower finally arrived, the three agents met up by the beach a few minutes walk from the square. Eight had arrived before the others, and was standing by the shore watching the sky. Three could tell that she was waiting for something, but wasn’t entirely sure what it was. Maybe she just needed a breather. It must’ve been a long two weeks, especially with the Splatfest, and it could be inferred that Eight had never had much time to relax in her whole life.

Four was the first one to take action, quietly joining the octoling by the water. The two tapped the sides of their shoes together lightly, a welcoming gesture free from sound or touch, before standing still and gazing up at the stars. 

Three enjoyed watching the interactions between the two. Unlike herself, Eight seemed to pick up on subtle things rather quickly, which made relationships easier for her; she understood people, and she acted in a way that they would understand best. It was a nice quality to have.

“The humans used to tell myths about meteors,” Three heard Four saying as she approached them. “They’d say that if you make a wish on one, not only will it come true, but you can find little fragments of stars along the beach the next day.”

“Do you think it’s true?” Eight asked, still staring up at the stars.

Four shook their head, sighing softly. “I don’t. But it’s nice to imagine.”

“Maybe in another world it’s true. Maybe we’re not alone in the universe.”

“Of course we’re not alone. We have the stars!” With that Four reached up towards the sky, as if trying to prove their point by holding the stars in their hands.

“Yeah, we _do_ have the stars,” the octoling replied, smiling. “And we have eachother.”

Three turned to look at Eight, who nodded softly as they made eye contact. Then there was a long moment of silence between all of them, as they all got a moment of peace.

* * *

Once they were all ready to go, they headed back towards the road where Four had parked the car. The drive was spent in silence, as the inkling wasn’t supposed to wear headphones while driving and everyone was a bit too tired anyways.

Eight spent the entire drive staring out the window at the distant sea as they headed west down the quiet road, out towards the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. From there they’d all be able to see the meteor shower with no trouble.

When they arrived at the bottom of the hill, Four glanced back at the others before heading towards the slope. “I’ll see you guys up there!”

Once they were out of earshot, Three sighed softly and followed after Eight at a leisurely pace. The two were quiet for a moment, and the inkling started to worry.

“Hey, Three?”

At the sound of her voice the shorter girl nearly froze, but turned towards her friend with curiosity.

“It’s okay. I know it wasn’t your fault.” The octoling kept her eyes on the path ahead, footsteps heavy with exhaustion. “And about 2 years ago, I… don’t know if I can forgive you completely. But I do know you regret it, and I know you’ve changed. That’s all that matters.”

Three sighed softly, turning to look the other way.

“Don’t stress about it so much, okay? I’m looking forward to getting to know you. The _real_ you.”

The inkling smiled, ears twitching lightly as she processed everything. “Thank you.”

As the two reached the top of the hill, they sat down in the grass next to Four and gazed up at the stars. After a few minutes a bright streak of light crossed the sky, and all three agents stared with wonder. Three could tell that the others both felt the same way; they’d never seen anything more beautiful in their lives. And from there, more and more shooting stars lit up the night, leaving all of them amazed. 

That was when Three recalled the myth that her roommate had told them, and she thought for a while about a wish. With the next meteor that passed, she only had one thought in mind: _I wish for all of us to start living the lives we deserve._

  
  
  
  



	3. If I’m Being Honest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get a little bit tense, but at the end of the day, Four and Three still have eachother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re sorry for the long wait on this one! Some really awful things happened with our family and we just haven’t been in the right place to work on this fic for a while. Aside from that, we hope you enjoy this chapter!

Don’t sit still for too long, the ceiling may cave in.

* * *

“...I can’t believe you.”

Marie gave the agent a confused expression, so the other continued.

“I expected to hear some sort of apology from you, but _this?_ Are you _serious?!_ I spent _2 years_ fighting for my life in the deep sea, hardly sleeping because I was afraid I’d never wake up, and when I’m finally free from all the torment I find out I’m _homeless!_ You didn’t even care! Sending me off to live with some _stranger-_ “

“I thought you _liked_ Four?”

Three did a double take, already on the verge of tears. “This… This isn’t about Four, Marie, this is about _you._ I had faith in you, I was looking forward to getting to see you again. I thought you were the _one person_ that cared about me, but I guess I was wrong.” With a scoff, the agent turned to walk away. “And about the octoling, I’ll take care of it. But _not_ because you asked.”

* * *

Later that day, Three and Four went out to eat at Crusty Sean’s.

“Apparently Callie, Marie, and Cap’ are going off on some sort of family vacation,” Three started, taking a long sip of her soda. “They caught wind of an octoling sneaking around at night, think they’re trying to help Octavio escape.”

Four nodded along from across the table, tapping their foot against the ground with curiosity. “They want you to take care of it while they’re gone?”

Three sighed, clearly annoyed. “ _Yup._ I’m probably gonna hang out by the outpost tonight, try to figure out what’s going on a bit better.”

“Aren’t you kinda really mad at Marie…?”

“Of course I am! But we both know that whatever’s happening can’t be good, so it doesn’t exactly feel like a task. It’s just a moral obligation.”

“Do you think I could help at all?”

Three took a moment to think. “Maybe not tonight, but I might need your help with some strategizing later on.”

The other smiled as they got an idea. “I think I know someone who can help with that!”

* * *

When the sun started to set, Three packed some snacks and a notebook in a small backpack and headed out with a quick goodbye. For the first time since the agent had come to live with agent Four, they were left alone in their apartment.

Of course, there were plenty of days where Four would spend hours just going for a walk or letting out their energy in salmon runs. They were used to being on their own, and usually preferred it. But they’d grown used to having a familiar face to greet them at the end of the day, and it was always comforting in a strange way. 

With a sigh, the agent flopped down on the couch and turned on some music. Three might not return until the next morning, and the thought of being alone in the dusty old apartment for the whole night wasn’t exactly pleasant. Four didn’t want to admit it, but the dark corridors had a tendency to bring back the worst of their memories, so they made every effort to fall asleep before sunset; that was, of course, until Three moved in. Something about her presence made the agent feel… _safe._

Luckily, they wouldn’t be alone for long.

Agent Eight had happily agreed to help the others come up with some sort of strategy, and despite there being no guarantee that Three would find any information tonight, she wanted to come hang out anyways. Hearing this meant a lot more to Four than the octoling may have realized; they were often put down by others for being too loud, talkative, sensitive, or enthusiastic about things. Part of them hoped Eight didn’t know this, and genuinely enjoyed being around them.

For now, they would hang onto that hope and they wouldn’t let go.

* * *

Long past midnight, Three hurried through the city on weary legs as she made her way back to the apartment. She wasn’t concerned about her own safety; Inkopolis was always bustling, even when the moon hung high over the skyline. Many cephalings loved the late-night breeze as they rushed through turf wars, and the most daring of souls would get together with close friends to take down the most dangerous of salmonids. Throughout the blocks, cephalings would take breaks to get ice cream or a quick drink from various local restaurants. There was something charming about it, and Three rarely felt unsafe in the city.

When the agent made it back to the apartment and swung the door open, she immediately spotted Four and Eight on the couch. The two were throwing teasing jabs at eachother as they played some sort of racing game, and Three couldn’t help but smile.

After a moment, Eight burst out into laughter and cheered for her own victory. Four, on the other hand, was much less excited.

“Now we’re tied,” the agent started with a hint of aggression in their voice. “Whoever wins this last race gets the gold.”

Three’s ears perked at this, and as she set down her backpack she went to join the others on the couch. “You guys are betting on _Mario Kart?_ ”

“Why wouldn’t we?” the octoling asked with a small laugh. “I’m winning and Four is really mad about that. It’s a lot of fun!”

“You should join the next round! I’ll be able to prove to Eight that I’m better than someone at this,” Four said with a chuckle.

“Hey, I’m not _that_ bad! I’m just… not necessarily _good_ either.” Three shifted slightly to get a better view of the game before continuing, “But I probably shouldn’t play just yet. I was able to gather some information about the octoling.”

The other two tensed slightly at the statement, clearly anticipating the news, and the final race was quiet.

* * *

“Well, first off, she didn’t have shades.”

The three agents were now gathered around the kotatsu, Four with a sketchbook and Three with her notepad. Eight gave the inkling a baffled expression when she heard the report, so she continued.

“No shades, no goggles; she was completely free from any octarian technology.”

“Is it possible she’s not a threat, then?” Eight questioned, visibly confused.

“I don’t think so… She talked to Octavio for a while, and I couldn’t hear much of what she said but she mentioned recruiting more of the ‘rogue soldiers.’ I think she was referring to the freed octolings living in the city like you.”

The other took a moment to think. “It’s probable she was part of some sort of experimental unit that didn’t wear goggles or shades, maybe as a way of testing some new technologies for hypnosis…”

“Hidden technology that would go completely unnoticed by surface octolings, so she could try to gain their trust..?” Four chimed in with uncertainty. Three gave them a reassuring smile as Eight carried on.

“That’s quite likely, unfortunately. That means we have no idea where this tech could be, and it’ll be hard to figure out-“

“Contacts.”

Eight turned to Three with even more confusion than before. “Contacts…?”

“Yeah, they’re like… tiny glasses that you put on your eyes. You can’t see them, but they change the way you view things.”

“That could be it!” the octoling agreed, smiling softly. 

“Wait, if she’s trying to recruit more octolings,” Four began with thought, “she’s probably hanging out in the city a lot. We should try to look out for her, see if we can catch on to any routines.”

“Not a bad idea,” the octoling replied, “and there could be more than one of them out there.”

“I happened to write down some key features I was able to distinguish from other octolings, so we can start with that.” Three flipped through her notebook quickly and handed it to Four, who read over it a few times before beginning a sketch in their sketchbook. “It might be a good idea to stand watch at the outpost every night or so to see if there’s more than one octoling or not, and we could try to scout the city everyday.”

“I agree, I think we should work together on this. I’ll ask Marina if she knows anything about the… contacts, did you say they were?” Three gave a small nod, and Eight continued. “If she has any information, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

The small meeting didn’t last much longer, and within the next half hour, Eight was gone.

* * *

Three woke the next day around 6 in the morning, the sun already peeking over the horizon. Her ears were ringing like crazy, her blind eye felt sore and itchy, and the nerves underneath her scar were all stinging.

_What a pleasant thing to wake up to._

Strangely enough, the more she woke up, the better it felt. Maybe she’d just slept on it weird.

After a quick stretch of her legs, the agent slowly fell back asleep without much concern.

* * *

By the time the sun had set, Three was starting to lose her energy and found the pain starting to creep back. She didn’t pay it much mind at first, and simply went to take a hot shower. The heat was quite relaxing, which would’ve felt nice if it didn’t make her want to sleep even more. 

When the inkling stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, she found the stinging in her skin was worse than ever before. Three sighed and went to stand in front of the mirror, wiping off the fog so she could get a better look at her wound.

The sight was fairly startling for the agent; she had never really taken much time to observe it, but she could’ve sworn it never looked that gruesome before. 

The area where her skin had been ripped off had a deep crevice by her eye, which was slightly swollen and deformed. The whole area was still stained with the sanitized ink, and the base of her ear had shriveled and ripped.

She had plenty of scars, most of which didn’t bother her as they weren’t that noticeable. Some of them would even fade away over time. 

There would be no hiding from this scar.

Three could feel her good eye welling with tears, and she couldn’t help but sniffle.

Worst of all, the deeper crevice oozed a small trickle of ink. Three figured this had just been reopened in the shower, as it looked relatively fresh. Through the blur of her tears, she couldn’t tell if the ink was her own or sanitized. With one more shaky breath, the inkling started to break down.

Within seconds, Four was at her side. They didn’t ask any questions, they didn’t try to make her talk. They simply pulled her in close, offering her a shoulder to cry on.

After a few minutes, Four started to sing quietly. It was a warm, gentle tune, and Three practically froze as it pulled her out of her cruel thoughts and back to the present. Her breaths began to steady and she slowly opened her burning eyes, but quickly closed them again as she leaned against Four for comfort.

* * *

“I guess I feel… a lot safer here than I initially thought I would.”

Three and Four were sitting in the living room, each at opposite ends of the couch as they watched a movie. By now neither one of them was really paying attention, as their conversation shifted to a more serious subject.

“That makes me happy to hear,” Four responded slowly.

“I hate admitting this, I really do… but I guess it’s also because I don’t like getting attached to things. No matter what it is, it won’t last forever. You’ll lose _everything_ someday, so why even bother?”

“Well, it’s not _all_ bad. You’ll lose people in life and things will change, but you’ll always have the fond memories you made along the way!”

“I admire your optimism,” Three started with a smile, “but… I don’t want happiness to only exist in my memories. I’m _terrified_ of the future because I’m afraid of losing everything I have. The things that make me happy are the only things that make me feel like living is worth it...”

Four took a moment to think. “Loss doesn’t mean the end of the world,” they began slowly, “and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate the time you spent with someone.” Carefully they shuffled closer to their friend, sitting only a couple feet away. “I’m scared of losing you. I’m scared of change in any way. But it’s important to fight through it, even when it all seems hopeless. You managed that for _2 years,_ and look where you are now!”

Three had to admit that they had a point. Though change was scary, it didn’t have to be all bad.

“...I’m scared of losing you, too.”

Four took a long breath before shifting to sit down right at Three’s side, leaning against her and resting their head on her shoulder. When she made no objections, they whispered, “Don’t worry too much, I’m not going anywhere.”

  
  
  
  
  



	4. The Golden Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions are beginning to rise without much warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but we’re trying to keep certain things separated for now. Hope you enjoy!

Hide in the shadows, don’t make a sound.

* * *

As the sun fell to sleep below the skyline, the city was washed in a golden glow as the day’s final hours came to a close. Near the edge of all the activity, on an old boardwalk close to the sea’s reach, two friends watched the waters rise and fall before crashing against the sand.

“Now that summer’s ending,” Three began, “they’re working a new job in the evenings. Not much to do in the domes.”

Eight nodded softly, taking a long sip of her soda. “There was never much to do in the domes. My memory isn’t exactly the greatest, but I know the highlights of our lives were the rare occasions a bird would find its way inside.”

The inkling’s pace faltered momentarily as she tripped over an uneven floorboard, but she caught herself with little trouble. “How did birds even get in there?”

“Not sure, but we’d challenge ourselves to catch them. It was a fun little game, and I think we got rewards for it, which was why it was such a big thing.” She paused momentarily to take another sip of her drink, then continued. “Sometimes I like to imagine those birds helped octolings find their way to freedom.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case,” Three began slowly, but found she had nothing else to say. With a quick glance over to the other, she found the octoling was watching the seagulls flying overhead with a gaze that held a hint of sorrow.

“Do you think the rest of them will be free someday…?” Eight mumbled, her shoulders drooping slightly.

The other had to take a moment to think of the best answer. As much as she wished the octolings could all be free, the chances of that happening seemed incredibly low. Not wanting to bring her friend’s spirits down, she replied simply, “There’s always a chance it could happen, we just need to keep fighting until the very end.”

That was something the two were good at; they’d both fought through absolute hell and managed to make it out alive. Neither of them ever gave up, even when all hope seemed lost, and in the end they managed to free themselves. They were strong-willed, able to handle even the hardest of challenges. 

No matter what life decided to throw at them next, they’d never give up.

As the two kept walking, they came across a few benches by the edge of the path and made a silent agreement to go sit down. From here they could get a much better view of the setting sun, no longer blocked by occasional passerbys or pulled from view by other distractions. Across the small bay, boats could be seen arriving at the harbor; some carried tourists, others were fishing boats, and a few larger ones held cargo. Three found herself idly counting the boats that passed as she finished off her drink, the first cool breeze of the night grazing over her skin. 

Eight, on the other hand, was leaning against the backrest of the bench with her eyes closed. A soft smile spread across her cheeks as the sun cast its golden rays over her, and she looked quite peaceful.

That’s when it hit Three.

The inkling could feel her ears twitching as she let her gaze dance momentarily over the other girl, and she couldn’t help but smile. The octoling looked truly beautiful, and she’d never given herself the time to get a good look at her. 

With a shake of her head, the inkling turned back towards the sunset. Beauty was never something that meant a lot to her, but sometimes she couldn’t help but admire people. There were many admirable things about the other agent, things that Three was yet to discover in anybody else. It made the octoling stand out from everyone else in a way that others failed to accomplish.

As the last hints of sunlight slipped beneath the horizon, Three couldn’t help but wonder,  _ Does Eight see unique, beautiful qualities in me? _

* * *

When Three had returned to the apartment, the stars were already shining brightly in the sky. It had been a nice evening with Eight, one of the best the inkling had experienced in quite a while. Though their relationship hadn’t started off on the right track, with just a little extra effort the two were starting to get along quite nicely. 

Yet by the time it was over, Three could feel her energy deteriorating at an almost alarming rate; with this sudden drop in strength, the agent was starting to feel a stinging sensation in her skin. The pain had caused her mood to shift significantly, and she couldn’t wait to get back home.

When the front door was opened, the inkling was greeted by complete darkness.

There was something unusually unsettling about it. Maybe it was the obvious absence of her roommate, whom she had grown used to seeing at the end of the day, or maybe it was the sudden strike of terror that there could be something hiding in the shadows. It was an irrational fear, but no matter how hard the inkling worked to convince herself she’d be safe, she couldn’t get herself to believe it. The quiet drone of the air conditioning that echoed through the room made her hearts race, and she forced herself to close her eyes so she wouldn’t have to face the dark. After a few hesitant steps forward and way too much fumbling blindly for the light, Three sighed with relief as she heard the click of the switch turning on. Yet when she opened her eyes, there was no light.

The distant sound of a phone ringing echoed through the dark corridor, and after a moment of hesitation, Three began following the sound. Light returned to the hall unnaturally quick, illuminating the old rusty pipes overhead that dripped saltwater onto the concrete at her feet. She could feel herself trembling as she walked, ignoring something deep inside her that tried to explain she was reliving a memory. As far as she could tell, this was completely real. 

Her ears perked up as she heard muffled screams for help, and she barely even noticed she could suddenly hear perfectly. Her instincts told her to ignore it as she bolted down the hall, listening as the voices got louder and louder with every stride. An old device in her pocket was beeping wildly as if it had a message to convey, but she couldn’t bother to give it any attention. She barely even noticed when she found herself dashing across glass panes; the agent was strictly following her hearing, which was currently her most reliable sense. 

Three halted in her tracks as she spotted something below the glass which she’d never seen before, and as quickly as she identified a familiar face, she crashed through the window and braced herself for impact.

When the agent reopened her eyes, she was surrounded by complete darkness yet again. Her ears were ringing like crazy, and after a few moments the sound faded out to the distance. With a few labored breaths the inkling managed to stand up, slowly turning around to examine her surroundings. Her gaze caught on a speck of silver off in the distance, and with little hesitation she made her way towards it. The further she walked, the louder the sound of ringing became, and she almost stopped and turned around. Yet as the object came into view, she could make out the vaguely familiar figure of an old pay phone.

Three cautiously stepped forward, her feet shaking with uncertainty. As she gazed at her reflection on the shiny metal bits of the phone, the ringing in her ears began to morph into words.

The longer she stared, the clearer the words became.

**_I never left._ **

* * *

When Three woke back up, she was on the couch.

A blanket had been thrown over her neatly, and her own pillow was under her head. She quickly identified the living room of her apartment, which was washed in the soft warm light of a lamp in the corner. 

The agent sighed softly as she fully came to her senses. Her wound hurt worse than ever before, and her whole body felt weak and sore. Yet as she managed to lift herself up onto her elbows, she could feel her energy slowly returning to her, and she couldn’t help but let out a long yawn.

“Oh thank the  _ stars _ , you’re awake!” a drowsy voice sounded from a few feet away, and Three quickly recognized it as Four. Rubbing her good eye momentarily, she turned to face her roommate; they were resting their head on the surface of the kotatsu, and offered a gentle smile as they stretched their arms out. “When I got home you were completely blacked out,” the agent started, voice shifting to a worried tone, “what happened..?”

Three thought for a moment, the single phrase from her dream ringing through her ears. She shuddered slightly at the memory, then winced as a sharp pang stung her eye. She didn’t want to be thinking about that right now.

“Just a bit of panic…”

There was a quick moment of silence before the other spoke softly, “Does it hurt?”

“Does what hurt..?”

“Your eye, your skin. I noticed you wince a lot, and I don’t think you’ve been making the right efforts to heal it.”

Three tilted her head slightly, a gesture she figured would convey more to Four than simple words. “What would help it heal better?”

The other agent perked up immediately, clearly enthusiastic about being able to help their roommate yet again. “Cold water will be a huge help. You’ll want to wash your skin everyday, and try to keep it clean. If you flush your eye out a few times, that should help too. I also have aloe treatments, which will help with the burning a lot. All of that together should help it heal.”

Three smiled softly, but it faded after a moment. “Four,” she began slowly, “how do you know all of this…?”

The inkling could see her roommate tense, and their expression shifted to display one of fear and uncertainty. “That’s…  _ not  _ important.”

* * *

After that night, the two agents would work together every evening to heal the wound to the best of their abilities. It was a painful process, and Three tried to refuse it at first, but she knew it would get better over time. That was the whole point, after all.

Yet her mind was racing with thoughts. 

Every other night, she’d spend a few hours after midnight scouting the outpost. For a week she didn’t spot anything at all, and neither did Four. It was starting to stress both of them out, as they feared they wouldn’t find any more information. They hadn’t even spotted any sign of the strange octoling in the city.

Aside from that, she couldn’t stop thinking about Four. She had never put much thought into it, but it seemed there was something the agent was hiding from her. It was beginning to cause distrust between the two, which neither of them were used to; from the moment they met, they’d been naturally drawn to eachother. Something about their unique individual selves made bonding easy for them, and they enjoyed having eachother for company when the days were done. It was a friendship they both cherished, and it baffled both of them how easily a single question had made things so tense.

On top of all of this, Three couldn’t stop thinking about the hallucination and dream she’d had. There was no way that old, horrible phone was still in her head.

...Right?

  
  



End file.
